Native comics

KOCHI: Being a 90s kid, comics and cartoons always influenced 35-year-old animator and character designer Deepak Leela Sivarajan. The Ochira native who has been living in Thiruvanathapuram for over a decade is on a mission to enhance the animation sector in the country by introducing native stories and characters rather than pursuing western story threads. He recently released his new series called Kerala Heritage, which depicts mundane folklore characters and tales from Indian mythology.

Muthappan, Yakshan, Onathar, Dushashana, Kathakali - many of Kerala’s homegrown gems have found a place in Deepak’s illustrations. He wants to bring in a certain inclusivity in his creations by introducing native legends and characters. “My vision is to keep our roots intact and retell these stories to the younger generation. These characters, like Muthappan, have many generations of stories and myths associated with them, which the newer generation is not aware of. So my effort is to make them available to the younger generations through art,” he says.

Deepak has been releasing his art as Non Fungible Token (NFT). “Earlier, reaching out to a global audience or selling your art internationally was not easy. But with NFT, that has become possible,” he says.    

Deepak, along with his friend Manu K S, has released their first comic through their venture Studio Pava recently. Titled Battle of the Winds, the 12-book series based on the Arab sailor Ahmad Ibn Majid and 15th-century spice trade is an intriguing read. “It was the best selling comic book in Sharjah International Book Festival recently, and that boosted our confidence. We had researched a lot ahead of starting the book, even about Jain culture. The geography of our state had a great role to play in its history and culture,” he says.

What is NFT?
A fungible token can be broken down and transferred  —  much like a 100 rupee bill can be broken into five 20 rupee bills. In contrast, a non-fungible token is a digital asset that belongs solely to the digital space and cannot be tampered with —you can’t touch it or break it down, but you can own it. As you do so, the details of the original owner and any secondary transactions are recorded, creating a sort of digital footprint for the token.

BATTLE OF THE WINDS
The first in the series, The Spy’s Route is a comic book for young adults which narrates the story of the Arab navigator and cartographer Ahmad Ibn Majid. According to the writers the book does not just cover the historical events and pan-arab nationalism, but it is also personalised by adding some elements of fiction.